 |
|
FEEDBACK  |
|
 |
|
September 2002 letters Scope of Gathering program is impressive September 27, 2002 Even though I will unfortunately be unable to be in attendance, I am impressed by the scope of the program being presented. May God's guidance and blessings be with all in attendance and then with them as they return to their homes and churches invigorated to do His will and attest to His greatness. Rev. Gilbert J. Fitzsimmons Elder Knoxville United Church Pittsburgh Wondering if it is time to go September 27, 2002 I was ordained in the Presbyterian Church as a minister in June of 1982. Since that time, I served honorably as a full-time parish minister until 1995 when I went back to school to earn a BSN. I am now an RN working in Nursing Administration at a large hospital system. While going back to school and since graduating, I have continued to supply preach. When I am not preaching or working in the hospital on weekends, I attend a local PCUSA church where the gospel is preached. I am still a "minister at large" in Eastminster Presbytery here in northeast Ohio. At our last presbytery meeting, I asked a candidate what he thought Jesus meant when he said "A man must be born again to see the kingdom of God?" and, furthermore I asked him if he himself was "born again." The candidate was elusive, the COM seemed to want to get on with the examination closing questioning very quickly, and moving the question even more quickly. I must admit that I knew the words BORN AGAIN are frightening to liberals, but I felt a candidate should know the original context of Jesus' statement and know how to respond to my question. The longer I am in a "real job," the more out of touch I can see that PCUSA clergy are with the gospel. I am wrestling with whether the PCUSA is beyond hope. I still find a lot of people who are hungry for the gospel in our churches, so I continue to take opportunities to invite people to open the door of their heart to Jesus and know Him as their savior. Why is this such a scary message to our church? I am getting tired of seeing leaders in our denomination who don't mention the name of Jesus in their statements of faith and seeing evangelical ministers and candidates beat up by Presbytery. Mark J. Merritt, RN, M.Div. Did Jesus die for me? September 27, 2002 The author asks the right question. Can we be sure? He answers correctly. Indeed, we can. But let's be very clear as to why. We did nothing to earn God's grace. We did not ask for Christ's sacrifice. We could not because we were dead in our sins. We can be eternally secure that Christ died for us because God the Father chose us, God the Son redeemed us, and God the Holy Spirit regenerated us. We see to accept the free gift only because God enabled us. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in then." Eph. 2:8-10 Our lives have meaning and purpose because Christ died for us. We also have work to do! Jim Tuckett Another view on synod's ruling in Sebastian case September 27, 2002 Derek Simmons has, as usual, cut to the heart of the matter. While others were high-fiving over what appeared a victory for the Confessing Churches, he spotted the poisoned pill concealed in what looked, at first glance, like a tasty lollipop. The liberal oligarchy has actually said, "You CCM folks can pass, publish and even teach your "confession" to your congregation, BUT don't use it as a qualifying test for ordination candidates!" So much for the "local option" they touted during the voting on Amendment 01-A (they never did mean it). Fenton G. Cates Elder. Ashland, Ore. PJC ruling in Sebastian case an eye-opener September 23, 2002 Once again, general thanks for the service you provide to all who are interested in the health and welfare of the PCUSA as it continues to further [or impede] his Saints in their obedience to his Word written. Specific thanks for your prompt posting of the words written by the Synod of South Atlantic, Permanent Judicial Commission, in its ruling in Session of Sebastian Presbyterian Church v. Blessing [Remedial Case No. 02-01]. It is always an eye-opener to read PJC decisions, even if the eye opened is black and blue from the sucker punch usually landed by such decisions. They are rarely about right and always about power and politics, and this latest case seems no exception. Once again a PJC – in true PCUSA fashion wanting to be all things to all people all the time, and to never say no – misunderstands what it means to have the wisdom of Solomon. Solomon offered to cleave the baby in two in order to save the child for the righteous claimant. The synod PJC opts instead to kill the baby with its terrible swift [s]words in the name not of righteousness but of the power of the politically correct running the PCUSA. In true PCUSA fashion, the PJC chose to abort an inconvenient pregnancy, the quickening Confessing Church Movement. Only time and an appeal will tell whether its operation was a success. The synod ruling says [in other more politically correct words]: "Confessing Churches, you can play around with constitutionally consistent "confessions" of belief that make you feel good and because we are open and nice people we won't stop you; but actually get serious and put your "confessions" into practice and we'll come down on you like a ton of never-read NIV's. And now that we have your attention, listen up: ask questions based on your "confessions" but don't act on the answers; let in anybody who wants in; accept any view or practice so long as it is sincerely held and the holder is a really, really, really nice person. Be open to whoever and whatever or so help us Louisville, we'll fold you up like a cheap pup tent." I pray that those who have battled for the rest of us thus far – the session of Sebastian Church, the session of Orlando First Presbyterian Church, Christy Wilson, just to name too few of the total number of soldier-saints – will receive all the encouragement and strength they need to continue this battle and will see their ranks swell with recruits until he comes again or the authority of Scripture again prevails in the PCUSA, which ever comes first. Derek J. Simmons Elder First Presbyterian Church Santa Rosa, Calif. A Confessing Church Time for the often too silent middle of the church September 23, 2002 I would like to add my voice to Loren Golden's response to Sean Larson. I admit that my letter was openly polemical, but still with a serious message. Mr. Larson's letter illustrates my point in closing with Isaiah 6:9-10 perhaps better than I could, for he was unwilling or unable to take the message on its own merits; rather, he invented his own to take its place. I would also note that he uses cliches to buttress his position. Cliches are great if our main intent is to justify our opinions in our own sight while avoiding any personal accountability for them. But they have about as much to do with truth and righteousness as a politician's championship of "America and apple pie" has to do with their suitability for political office. Only in a church that seems to have forgotten what it means to preach costly grace have cliches become acceptable to establish truth. I would not doubt that Rev. Peterson is, in his own way, a caring and well-intentioned person, or that I might find more in common than differences if I were to meet him, but that is beside the point. I would note that he has voluntarily chosen to represent the most uncompromising and intransigent "progressive" organization in our church debate. I might have put my argument differently as a warning that "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions." This is not a cliche but a fact of human life and history. I can't personally speak much to Gandhi's philosophy, but as for Martin Luther King, I would urge Mr. Larson to read two sermons from the collection Strength to Love: "Loving your Enemies" and "A tough mind and a tender heart." They are about as clear expositions as I can find of King's concrete thoughts on love and discernment, respectively. Matthew 5: 43-48 is central to King's thesis in "Loving your Enemies." It is a very specific and concrete love, as opposed to the vague and self-serving cliches that often make do for it today. King understood the ultimacy of our mutual interdependence if we were to live in community. It meant not only encouraging his followers, but making them aware of the potential for sin in their own striving for the good. It meant having a vision that was inclusive of both his most earnest followers but also his bitterest opponents for there could be no real and lasting solution that did not do so. Yet, in practice, this passage from Matthew has proved to be one of the first (but not only) pieces of Scripture to be jettisoned by progressive ideology. Granted, conservatives also do this, but because progressives claim love as the principle justification for their actions, they bear a heavier responsibility for its abandonment. Further, since the progressives have effectively embraced the secular view that sin has no meaning in a rational world, they have no means of taking their own into account. In "Tough Minds and Tender Hearts," King makes an argument for a relative autonomy of head and heart. The process of discernment, for King, involves being willing to hold competing truths in tension. Yet, in the progressive ideology, truth comes only from our own self-perceptions; the mind's role is reduced to one of slavery; it is not to question or challenge our prejudices, only to justify and rationalize them. In the name of love and justice, sophistry and equivocation are not only accepted but encouraged means of discourse. There is, of course, no room for a truth outside of our personal experience. There is also effectively no room for a transcendent Christ. Conservatives are guilty of this as well, but they are also explicitly championing the position that truth is also something that exists beyond our immediate and ephemeral self-interests. From my reading of King, he might be sympathetic with the motivations of Rev. Peterson and others, but I think he would also have to recognize and point out, with head and heart, the degree to which their actions are in fact self-defeating. King recognized that righteousness and truth were less a goal than a pathway. He drew, probably from Reinhold Niebuhr's insight that the sin in our good was more fraught with danger than evil that had elements of goodness, for the former often leads to justifying our sins by our intentions, while in the latter the goodness often remains as seeds of hope for the future. Our means of change often become embedded in our collective psyche long after the immediate issues have faded in memory. I find no joy in this insight, for it is a tragedy for the people involved and for the church as a whole. For all their good intentions, the progressive ideology often marks less a fulfillment of Jesus' call to love in community than its abandonment to sin and self-idolatry. In striving for their goals they may find that they have lost the very things for which they claim to have been striving. Unfortunately, they may also take many other good people down with them in the process. It is up to us, the often too silent middle of the church, to decide if this is the path we want for the future. Bruce M. Williams Calvary Presbyterian Church San Francisco, Calif. We're witnessing the devaluation of life in this country September 23, 2002 The patience of the First Church Orlando is admirable. The permissive stance of the liberal voices in our denomination share the responsibility for the moral meltdown we are now witnessing in the U.S.A.'s business community with its devastating effects, not to mention the devaluation of human life in the U.S.A. R.H. Sharrett Fanwood Presbyterian Church Elizabeth Presbytery, N.J. Return or stay away? For now, pray and stay away September 23, 2002 I am not an active participant in the struggles of the Confessing Church Movement to revive faithfulness to Scripture in the PCUSA. I am not neutral, though. I am a Presbyterian in the PCA, and my prayers are with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Whether the efforts of the Confessing Church Movement will succeed or fail is in God's hands. Only he knows if he is best served by revival in the denomination or by its demise. I would not like to see anybody discouraged in the movement. Even if it does not achieve the desired goal of returning the denomination to following the Bible as our guide to faith and practice, the effort is not wasted. We will at least then realize the complete state of apostasy this once-great denomination has sunk to. I was once a deacon in a PCUSA church and the Confessing Church Movement has caused me to reconsider my attitude toward the denomination. I can only speak for myself for sure, but perhaps my thoughts on what would lead me to return to the PCUSA or stay in the PCA may be similar to others who have left. One factor worth noting is that I was not a Christian when I was a deacon. I may have been asked some questions about my faith before joining the church or becoming a deacon. I do not recall it seeming to be a big deal if I was. I was no doubt guilty of some deception myself, but my conscience was probably eased by the apparent lack of focus on true faith in the church I was a member of. I freely admit to being a sinner; specifically, I was probably a liar. I still am a liar and full of plenty of other sins, for that matter. The difference is that now I know it, I admit it and I have forgiveness in Christ. I continued my life as a social Christian for many years before I started attending a PCA church. It was there, surrounded by a community of people that I saw to be a genuine body of believers that I became a follower of Christ myself. I have seen the unfortunate necessity of church discipline becoming unavoidable if we were to remain faithful to our Lord. I have also seen discipling in action. If there is to be any hope for revival in the PCUSA, there will have to be some attention paid not only to the standards for pastors and elders, but for all members. I hope and pray the Confessing Chuch Movement leads to a deeper focus on following Scripture. This could lead some members to a conviction that the PCA is correct in its refusal to ordain women as elders or pastors. There will likely not be many who will come to this conclusion, but some may. What will you do with them? Wish them well and watch them go? I do see some possibility of this becoming a divisive issue in the Confessing Church Movement. Which would, of course, delight your enemies in the liberal camp. The EPC policy is to leave the decision to ordain women as elders at the congregational level while approval for female pastors is at the presbytery level. I can conceive of myself accepting a policy like this. I could then search for a congregation where my beliefs were shared. My views would certainly not be welcome in the PCUSA as it is currently governed, though. The ordination of women is not a subject for discussion or differing views. It is a matter that is handled by mandatory policies set at the denominational level. Probably the biggest single factor in my not wanting to any longer be a part of the PCUSA was the financial policies in Louisville. I want to support the church with my contributions. I could not in good conscience support many of the things Louisville spends money on, though. At best, many are social and political matters where the church should not venture. At worst,many are ungodly and abhorrent to a Christian. I know that some congregations withhold contributions from Louisville. That hardly seems a good answer, though. If that is all we can do, why be Presbyterians at all? We might as well have a congregational form of government. I will continue to pray for those in the PCUSA seeking revival. I will also watch to see if there is any indication that the denomination will return to following Scripture. Ron McCormick Philadelphia, N.Y. Remember what God says about Israel September 23, 2002 Remember what God says about Israel before you go about judging his chosen people. He promises to bless those who bless Israel and promises to curse those who oppose Israel. Think about it. Do you really want to live under the Lord's curse? Remember that the Lord calls us to love not to judgement, to obey the laws of our land, and render to Caesar what we owe. I. Murphy 'Witch hunt' against Fowler illustrates 'no confidence' in leadership September 19, 2002 I am in agreement with Pastor Hamer regarding the "witch hunt." The overwhelming vote on amendment A was, to me, more than a statement on ordination issues, it was a "no confidence" vote for the general assembly and the Louisville leadership. With these most recent events, I expect to see even stronger outcries from across the denomination denouncing the evangiphobic actions of our misguided leaders. Harris Warbington Elder Madison, Ga. |
|
September 2002 letters, page 2 Home · News · PLC Publications · The Presbyterian Layman Online Reviews · Archives· History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links |